Diet advice for laminitis prone pony please?

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Hi

My friend's 14hh 22yo gelding has come to stay at my yard over the winter and we are struggling a bit to get his diet correct.

He has cushings medicated with pergolide and can not have access to too much grass or high sugar/starch feeds. He currently lives out with my mare who requires a similar low sugar/starch diet.

To share with her he has a 60x80 sand school and a similar sized poor grass paddock, along with a track system going around an acre field which is just mud and weeds at this point but has access to hedgerows which he is always munching on. Ad lib soaked hay is provided at all times (sadly we can't source hay with a low enough NSC so soaking is needed)

He is also fed 3 feeds per day, each containing 1x stubbs scoop soaked speedibeet and 1x stubbs scoop of soaked Rowen barbary solutions mash ( https://www.rowenbarbary.co.uk/product/soft-n-soak-solution-mash/ ) and he eats every last bit! He's given brewers yeast with each feed too.

Despite this I'd condition score him at about 3.5, he lacks in a lot of muscle and topline but always looks as if he has a full belly. Both his owner and I would really like to see some more weight on him with winter coming. He's very bright in himself and obviously feeling well because he and my mare are always playing, and he bolts in at 100mph when it's feed time or if its raining :D

He regularly has his teeth checked (they are ok for his age and he seems to eat well with no quidding etc) and is on a worming program. Just wondering if anyone had been in a similar situation or can see if his diet is obviously lacking in something?

I was thinking about feeding some sort of hay replacer instead of the soaked hay which really can't be very nutritious?

p.s. he has access to shelter and wears a rug at night or if it's raining in the day.

Thank you :o:o
 
3.5 on the 0-5 scale is overweight so either you are not accurate in assessing him or you are using the 0-10 scale, either way he will require some work to build up his topline along with the correct diet. I think he is getting a lot of feed, none of mine get anything and still look rather too well on soaked hay and restricted grazing so I suspect he is needing a vit/ min supplement to make up for the soaked hay rather than more food, some micronised linseed would give some safe calories as well as being a source of quality protein.

Before giving a hay replacement try giving a portion of the hay unsoaked to help increase the nutrition levels, mine don't get their hay soaked over winter unless I have to get their weight down but I cannot imagine ever having to feed my old boy, who is 26, 15.1 and at risk of laminitis, anything like the amount of feed you are giving yours even in the middle of winter he would be lucky to get any more than a token along with adlib hay or haylage.
 
be positive said:
3.5 on the 0-5 scale is overweight so either you are not accurate in assessing him or you are using the 0-10 scale, either way he will require some work to build up his topline along with the correct diet. I think he is getting a lot of feed, none of mine get anything and still look rather too well on soaked hay and restricted grazing so I suspect he is needing a vit/ min supplement to make up for the soaked hay rather than more food, some micronised linseed would give some safe calories as well as being a source of quality protein.

Before giving a hay replacement try giving a portion of the hay unsoaked to help increase the nutrition levels, mine don't get their hay soaked over winter unless I have to get their weight down but I cannot imagine ever having to feed my old boy, who is 26, 15.1 and at risk of laminitis, anything like the amount of feed you are giving yours even in the middle of winter he would be lucky to get any more than a token along with adlib hay or haylage.
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Thank you for your response, sadly he's never been a particularly good do-er. He is a cobxTB with the build of a cob and metabolism of a tb :(

I'm condition scoring him based on the Henneke condition scoring system, on the 0-5 scale he would be a 2.5.

When choosing the soloutions mash we spoke to a lady from rowen barbary who told us to stop feeding his vit/min supplement (which was pro hoof from progressive earth) as the mash supposedly already contains their sumo balancer?
 
He will get topline and bum muscle from correct work so it may be worth checking if he is ridden that he is working properly. If he is not being ridden then at his age it is normal for them to drop topline because they are not using it, and with the belly it is also a sign of cushings so it may be he needs his medication dosage checked again. I would try adding micronised linseed and if it is not already in the feed at good levels brewers yeast as well to try and increase his weight.
 
Is he in work ? If not I'd suggest good quality forage and a vit & mineral supplement. If he's retired and not working he's not going to be carrying muscle / topline and nor does he need too.

If you want a good quality hard feed I'd suggest Equigard but I think you need to consider what you are feeding him for
 
crabbymare said:
He will get topline and bum muscle from correct work so it may be worth checking if he is ridden that he is working properly. If he is not being ridden then at his age it is normal for them to drop topline because they are not using it, and with the belly it is also a sign of cushings so it may be he needs his medication dosage checked again. I would try adding micronised linseed and if it is not already in the feed at good levels brewers yeast as well to try and increase his weight.
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Thank you. He is not ridden any more, but walked out in hand or ponied from another horse for 10-20 minute walks about 3x weekly. his owner has also started walking him over poles every evening :)
 
KautoStar1 said:
Is he in work ? If not I'd suggest good quality forage and a bit & mineral supplement. If he's retired and not working he's not going to be carrying muscle / topline and nor does he need too.

If you want a good quality hard feed I'd suggest Equigard but I think you need to consider what you are feeding him for
Click to expand...


Thanks, he's not in ridden work but walked out in hand or ponied from another horse for 10-20 minute walks about 3x weekly. his owner has also started walking him over poles every evening.

I appreciate that he needs a good quality forage but sadly I can't provide that by way of the hay. When his owner had the vet out last to check his bloods, he recommended replacing some of the hay with beet pulp (he said for his size 1.5kg of beet when weighed dry) which we have done, hence I suppose why it seems like he's getting so much feed!
 
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